Dinner Party
by DamonsGurl95
Summary: My take on the team meeting Joelle for the first time. Slight AU


**Dinner Party**

 _My take on the team meeting Joelle for the first time. Slight AU_

 _Enjoy :-)_

*At Deeks House*

It had been their first day off in months and Kensi and Deeks had spent their day at the beach soaking up the sun. Deeks tried to teach Kensi how to surf again, this time he actually made some progress with Kensi managing to stand for two waves.

It was now four o'clock and Deeks was impatiently waiting for Kensi to get ready, they were meant to be at Callen's house at quarter past four, it took them at least fifteen minutes to get there. If there was one thing that Deeks didn't like it was being late.

"Kensi come on we're already going to be late!" Deeks shouted down the hall for the third time in the last hour.

Deeks had spent that time watching TV, not really paying attention. He had no idea what Kensi was doing in his room but he was sick of waiting.

"I'm coming," Kensi shouted back.

Deeks sighed, "you said that fifteen minutes ago!"

Kensi rolled her eyes as she entered the room, "well this time I was being honest."

Deeks looked up from the TV and his jaw dropped slightly. Kensi laughed and did a little twirl.

"W-what are you wearing?" Deeks stuttered.

Kensi smiled, "you've seen me in jeans and a tank before, what's with the sudden shock?"

Deeks shook his head as though to be able to think more clearly.

"Yeah I have but you're wearing it differently, usually when you wear those things it's under Hetty's instructions and it's to help in a case. This is casual it looks more like you, you're covered but you look beautiful," Deeks said with a sly grin.

Kensi laughed, shaking her head, "well time to go or we'll be late."

*Sam's House*

Michelle was waiting in the family room for her husband and children to get ready.

"Come on you three it's already four, we're late!" Michelle shouted, hoping to get her family to move it.

Kamren came running down the hall with a grin on her face. Michelle hugged her little girl who looked cute in her blue dress.

One down, two to go, Michelle thought.

"Michelle where's my shirt?" Sam shouted.

Michelle rolled her eyes, "in the laundry."

They heard a crash and Aiden swear. Michelle sighed and went to see what was taking their son so long to get ready.

When she entered his room Michelle saw Aiden on the ground frowning at his bed.

"Did you trip over it again?" Michelle teased.

Aiden glared at his mother and nodded.

"Well pick yourself up, we have to go."

Aiden nodded as he stood back up and followed his mum out of the room.

Sam was sitting with Kamren on the couch, "well looks like we're ready to go."

*At OPS*

Hetty, Granger, Eric and Nell were in OPS finalising the weeks paperwork. They each had to sign off on the team's work to say whether they could confirm or deny that the events the team spoke of had actually happened. Hetty added a booklet sized piece of paperwork to their pile with a sigh.

"Well that's the last of it. We better get ready for this evenings dinner event at Callen's," Hetty said.

The four parted ways and headed to their individual homes to get ready for the night.

*At Callen's*

Joelle was pacing, she was nervous to meet her boyfriend's 'family'. She hadn't realised until that morning that she didn't even really know Michelle and Sam, something that made her more nervous.

"Joelle, relax, they are all going to love you," Callen said walking over to his nervous girlfriend and pulling her to him.

Joelle relaxed a little into his embrace. It was four thirty and no one had arrived yet, Callen could understand why Joelle was so worried.

*Outside Callen's house*

Kensi pulled the car onto the driveway. Her and Deeks got out of the car and Deeks pulled Kensi into his arms kissing her soundly on the lips.

Sam pulled his car up behind them and honked, Kensi and Deeks pulled apart.

"Deeks get off of her will you," Sam said shaking his head, "Kensi's like a little sister I don't need to see you two making out."

Kensi blushed slightly.

"Shouldn't you as the best friend be here first?" Deeks teased Sam, trying to change the subject for Kensi's sake.

"Well I am," Sam said as he raced Deeks to the front door.

Michelle and Kensi embraced shaking their heads at their partners.

"Children," Michelle said.

"They'll never grow up," Kensi agreed.

Both women laughed.

Kamren and Aiden each hugged Kensi as the four of them made their way to the front door where Sam and Deeks were shoving each other.

The front door opened to reveal Callen. Callen shook his head at his friends childish behaviour.

"You're all late," Callen said leading his friends into the house.

"Sorry G but Deeks here was making out with Kenz and it was a little more than I wanted to see," Sam explained.

Callen looked at Deeks, "please don't do that around us, she's our little sister, we don't need to see it."

Joelle was standing next to the couch with a slightly wavering smile on her face.

Michelle hugged her friend, Joelle tried to relax as she hugged her back.

Sam chose to just smile at Joelle, knowing that she wasn't comfortable just yet.

Callen motioned for them to all sit down on the couches. There was a variety of selections of food and dips on the coffee table with the two couches having been moved on either side of the table, dining chairs filling in the spaces so that they could all comfortably be seated.

After they had all sat Callen spoke, "Joelle this is Kensi and Deeks."

Kensi and Deeks smiled at Joelle who smiled back.

The group talked a little while they waited for the rest of the team.

After Hetty, Granger, Eric and Nell had arrived and been introduced to Joelle the men and Aiden all went outside to the BBQ to make sure that Callen didn't 'destroy the meat' as Sam had warned.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Hetty said to Joelle.

Joelle nodded hesitantly she spoke, "I would like to know how you all met Callen. I know that you work together but I just have this feeling that there's more to it than that."

"Miss Blye you should go first," Hetty suggested.

Kensi nodded, "well my dad had recently passed away and I was on the streets. I was living behind an abandoned warehouse and Callen and Sam were investigating an arms dealer who was running his ring from the building. The dealer knew that I lived there and they agreed not to turn me in for trespassing if I agreed not to turn them in for their illegal work. I was nineteen. Callen was behind the building near where I was hiding out and he spotted me. He thought that I was apart of it, that I would sound an alarm so he grabbed me and took me to his car. Sam wasn't impressed with the way that Callen was handling me and told him as much. Then they took me to the boatshed and interrogated me. I gave them all of the information that they wanted in trade for letting me stay at the boatshed for as long as I wanted to. Hetty was the one who gave the go ahead and I stayed there for about a year and in that time they trained me to be an agent. Ever since Callen and Sam have treated me like a little sister."

Joelle looked surprised at Kensi's story, "I had no idea. Did you not have anyone else? I'm an idiot of course you had no one else, why else would you be on the streets."

Kensi smiled, "it's okay, honestly. I've grown a lot since that time. NCIS really helped with that."

Joelle nodded in understanding, "okay well I know how Hetty & Nell met Callen but I don't know the real way that you met him Michelle."

Michelle had known that this was coming and she knew she had to be honest this time.

"Well I met Callen on Christmas Eve the year he and Sam started working together. Sam invited Callen for Christmas without telling me so I wasn't impressed. Callen spent most of the holiday apologising for the intrusion but he never offered to leave. Which only increased my annoyance," Michelle laughed with everyone, "I spent a week making Sam grovel for forgiveness. The funniest part is I actually enjoyed having Callen over, of course Sam still thinks I'm angry with him for it."

By this point the women were in fits of laughter, mostly at the thought of Sam groveling.

"Meat's ready!" Sam called from outside.

Joelle lead the way, grabbing the two bowls of salad off of the kitchen bench on her way through to the backyard.

Everyone sat around the table and dug into the food in front of them.

"So what were you ladies telling Joelle?" Callen asked slightly nervously.

"Oh, nothing just how you and Kensi used to date," Michelle teased.

Everyone laughed except Deeks, Callen and Joelle.

Callen's face turned white and Deeks spit out his sip of beer both in shock. Joelle looked unsure.

Callen and Kensi had never dated except for the sake of cases but Joelle and Deeks didn't know that.

Kensi looked at Deeks across the table and smiled at him, "relax Callen and I never dated. We worked cases as a couple often but nothing ever came of it. In fact it was kinda awkward at times because he's like a brother to me."

Deeks smiled at Kensi, feeling a lot more relaxed.

Joelle still looked uncomfortable.

"You're really funny Michelle," Callen said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry but you definitely walked into that one, besides Joelle needs to know what she's getting herself into. Do you really think we're all going to go through these gatherings without bagging on each other, particularly you?" Michelle said, trying to hold back her laughter.

Callen sighed, "yeah okay I deserve it after everything I've done to you four," he looked at Sam, Michelle, Kensi and Deeks, "I just hope you all know that this means war."

Everyone laughed, this was more relaxed and everyone seemed to be enjoying the lightheartedness of the evening.

"So what stories do you guys have about Callen?" Joelle asked feeling more confident.

Sam, Deeks, Eric, and even Granger and Aiden looked at each other and smirked.

Callen groaned, it was going to be a long night.

As everyone took turns around the table to pick on Callen with their various stories Callen couldn't help but smile. This was the kind of night he had imagined for years prior to tonight, where he would introduce his girlfriend to his friends and they would talk and laugh all night. He wasn't a fan of the attention being on him all night but he still liked the way that everyone was included.

Sam stood up, "I'm a bit late to do this seeing as we've already eaten but I would like to propose a toast," everyone grabbed their glasses and looked at Sam, "Joelle on behalf of everyone at this table I would like to officially welcome you to the family. We are a tight knit group and protect each other no matter what, and we are happy to bring you into the circle. Welcome to the family Joelle."

"Welcome Joelle," everyone echoed.

"To family," Callen responded.

"Family," came the chorus.

After all that is what they are, a family.


End file.
